The first sod of the Royal Military Canal was dug at Seabrook, near Hythe in Kent on 30th October 1804. The canal was built at a cost of £234,000 (£10 million in today's money), remarkably close to the estimate of £200,000.
It was built as a third line of defence against Napoleon, after the British Royal Navy patrolling the English Channel and the line of 74 Martello Towers built along the south coast. The Canal was constructed in two sections: lhe longest section starts at Hythe and ends at Iden Lock in East Sussex; the second, smaller, section runs from the foot of Winchelsea Hill to Cliff End. Both sections are linked by the Rivers Rother and River Brede.
See also
External link
The Canal website
Last updated: 10-21-2005 22:46:47
